By virtue of being based on tru2way, that UI won’t – can’t – be available on Cox’s oldest legacy boxes.

Cox President Pat Esser told CED that was a tough decision, but he said he’s been encouraging the entire company to try to get beyond the urge to make sure that at least a rudimentary version of every new innovation can be available on legacy boxes.

That the new UI won’t be replicated on legacy boxes is a decision Esser said he was proud his team was willing to make.

But it does buck tradition.

“That’s going to keep me up at night,” he said. “But it’s also an opportunity.”

An opportunity inasmuch as it might encourage subscribers with legacy equipment to trade up. He said the product is just too new to tell if it will become an incentive for some Cox legacy subscribers to do that.